DAN CIAMPA is an advisor on CEO transitions, operations improvement, culture change, and top-level organization for implementing new strategies. He was chairman and CEO for Rath & Strong, Inc., and named by Businessweek as among the top five CEO advisors. He is author of four other books, including Right from the Start, with Michael Watkins. For more on his background, see www.danciampa.com.

DAVID L. DOTLICH, PHD, is president of Pivot Leadership, a Korn Ferry company, and is an advisor and coach to CEOs and boards of companies such as Telstra, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Ericsson, and DPDHL. He is an entrepreneur who has started, grown, and sold two large companies and is a former executive vice president of Honeywell International. He is the author of 12 books on leadership and has been named one of the Top 50 Coaches in the United States.

Clear, actionable guidance toward managing a major leadership change
Transitions at the Top is an insightful, informative guide to navigating a change in leadership. A smooth transition is critical to both the health of the organization and the success of the new leader, but good planning and strong strategy can help organizations come out fresher and more driven on the other side. This book provides the specific principles, guidelines, and actions that boards, C-suite executives, and HR leaders need to guarantee a successful CEO transition. Continuity is key as one leader passes the mantle to a successor, and this book spans the steps and events that take place from when the candidate accepts the offer, all the way through the point where a critical mass of followers have accepted him or her as the established leader. Coverage includes guidance on who should be engaged in the process, as well as role-specific advice for each member of the transition management team.
Many books have been written to advise new incoming CEOs, but there is little guidance available for the organization as a whole. This book provides actionable advice on smoothing the transition without breaking stride.
* Maintain continuity during leadership transitions
* Strengthen focus on culture, systems, and processes
* Engage all influential executives in smoothing the transition
* Lay a foundation to help the new leader succeed
The transition management team plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of the organization during a time of major change. Strong strategy becomes critical when an organization is in flux, and high engagement is key. Transitions at the Top provides expert insight, clear guidance, and a solid plan for a smoother transition.

Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xix
Introduction 1
The Transition Challenge 3
The Roots of Failure 7
Complexity 7
Thinking Errors 8
Execution Errors 9
Roles for Success 11
The Board's Role 11
The CEO's Role 13
The CHRO's Role 15
The Senior Managers' Role 17
1 Complexity and Critical Crossroads 21
Complexity 25
Individual Adjustments 25
CEO 25
Board 27
CHRO 29
Senior Managers 32
Systemic Adjustments 34
Strategic 34
Operational 36
Political 39
Cultural 41
Summary 45
2 Three Destructive Myths 47
Myths Plaguing Transitions at the Top 56
Myth 1: People Join Companies All the Time...It's No Big Deal 58
Myth 2: Our Job Is Done When the One We Want Says "Yes" 62
Myth 3:We Know What He Can Do 65
How Transition Myths Bar Productive Thinking 71
Lack of Empathy 71
Lack of Learning 73
Lack of Questioning 74
Leaving Tough Questions Unanswered 76
Summary 79
3 Errors of Execution 81
Relationship between Incumbent and Successor 85
Preparing for Only One Transition 90
The Leader Who Departs 90
Derivative Defections 93
Mismanaging the Transition Process 96
Not Organizing and Interpreting the Right Information 96
How Things Really Get Done 97
Culture and Power Structure 98
Power and Influence 104
Not Preparing Major Players for the Right Roles 106
Mishandling the Onboarding of the New Leader 109
Summary 114
4 The Board's Role 117
Directors as Major Players 121
Oversight for the Transition 127
Managing Relationships 134
Judging Performance 143
Expectations 146
Cultural and Political Attention 148
Summary 150
5 The CEO's Role 153
Controlling the Steps and Pace 157
Role 158
The Search and the Transition 162
Ensuring Other Players Do What They Must 166
Self-Management and Self-Awareness 171
Summary 177
6 The CHRO's Role 179
Great Senior Staffing Support 185
Help for the New Leader 192
What the New Leader Must Do 192
Learning 193
Visioning 194
Coalition Building 196
Methods and Mechanisms for Relationships 198
Connecting 201
Listening 203
Summary 210
7 The Senior Manager's Role 215
Shaping Organization Opinion 220
Delivering Support 227
Building Winning Relationships 234
Summary 241
8 Summary 245
Index 253